When the World Feels on Fire

Lately, I’ve noticed how often the phrase “it just feels like everything is on fire” comes up—in therapy sessions, in conversations with friends, and honestly, in my own head and out of my own mouth.

I’m not writing this from a place of having it all figured out. I’ve been needing these tools too. On the harder days, these are the same skills I rely on to stay steady enough to function, rest, and keep showing up.

When the world feels unstable, the nervous system works overtime. Thinking clearly gets harder. Emotions feel louder or strangely muted. Motivation drops. None of that means you’re going crazy or being overly sensitive. It means you’re an aware and responsible human.

Here are a few anchors I keep coming back to. You don’t need all of them. I rarely use all of them. One is usually enough.

• Shrink the world. When everything feels overwhelming, I try to bring my focus closer. Not “How is this all going to turn out?” but “What do I need in the next hour?” Big world, small window.

  
  

• Body before brain. On days when my thoughts are spiraling, reasoning with myself doesn’t help. Slowing my breathing, putting my feet on the floor, or getting up to move a little does. Regulation comes first.

  
  

• Name your feelings. I’ve found it helps to say, plainly: This is anxiety. This is grief. This is overwhelm. Naming it creates a little space so the feeling doesn’t run the whole show.

  
  

• Lower the bar. This one has been big for me. This is a different season, and it requires different rules. Good enough counts. Rest counts. Doing less, more gently, is sometimes the healthiest option.

  
  

• Contain the input. I care about what’s happening in the world, and I’ve learned that constant exposure doesn’t make me more informed, just more dysregulated. Limiting news and scrolling has been protective, not avoidant.

  
  

• Stay human with someone. Even when I don’t know what to say, reaching out helps. A short text. Sitting with someone. Letting myself be seen instead of carrying it alone.

On the hardest days, I pick one of these anchors and let that be enough.

If you’re, like me, feeling overwhelmed right now, I want you to know this: you’re not going crazy or being overly sensitive. We all need more tools to get through these (mostly) unprecedented, trying times—and some days, getting through is more than enough.